In a Moment
by Kassaremidybelljesslynn
Summary: A person could make a choice that has the power to make or break their lives. A million thoughts could go through their minds in one moment. Watch as some of our glee members make such a choice. Rated for swearing& slight inappropriate thinking from boys.
1. Rachel

In a Moment  
Chapter 1: Rachel

Summary: A person could make a choice that has the power to make or break their lives. A million thoughts could go through their minds in one moment. Watch as some of our glee members make such a choice.

Note: I couldn't believe that my Internet is working right now, so I had to post something. This is my first gLee fic, so if I'm a bit OOC, sorry.

* * *

Rachel felt miserable. She had been having probably the worst few weeks of her life. First, she finds her mother, which would seem like a good thing except her mother is just that: her mother. Not her mom. So that felt like crap. Then Jesse leaves her, and of course he has to go out with his theatrical bang. Of course he has to crack an egg on her head and claim that he only left because he wasn't accepted, even though everyone went out of their way to make him feel at home. The jerk.

Then Sue Sylvester. Oh, that woman was always getting in Rachel's way of stardom. If Rachel turned into a crazy old woman who told stories of how she could have been a star, like that washed-up friend of Mr. Shue's, April Rhodes, Rachel would be sure to blame it on Ms. Sylvester. Rachel hated that woman with every fiber of her being. Rachel hated her with the fury of a thousand samurais. Rachel hated her with the fire of a thousand suns. Rachel-

Okay. So maybe she was being a tad overdramatic. But still. Rachel hated Ms. Sylvester.

Of course Ms. Sylvester was the 4th judge for the glee competition that Saturday.

Rachel figured that the tragedies of her life could be made into a hit musical. Or at least a TV show. With singing, of course.

As Rachel contemplated who she would want to play herself in her made up musical/TV show a hand reached out and grabbed her arm. Followed by that arm was the rest of the body of Finn Hudson.

Rachel's heart stopped until she ordered it to restart. Why should it stop for Finn Hudson? They weren't dating. She didn't even like him anymore.

_That_ was a lie if she ever heard one.

Of course she still liked Finn. She had never gotten over him exactly. When she complained to her Papa and Daddy about it, they laughed and said that she and Finn were perfect for each other. Finn was probably the only boy in the world who would not only put up with her admitted high-maintenance, but would actually find it cute when she got needy. Not that she ever got all that needy around Finn lately. Her Dads thought that they brought out the best in each other.

"Rachel, we could've made them feel better until you backed out on me. You're the captain and yeah, it is annoying when you get on everyone about glee, but you keep us together," was what he said.

Rachel froze. When he started about her tad over-bearingness about glee, she thought he was going to be a bit meaner about it. After all, so is everyone else. Why would he be any nicer?

Why?

Because it was Finn. Finn, her knight in shining armor, the boy who was there whenever she needed a friend, the boy who lets her be her crazy, obsessive self, but wouldn't put up with her self-pity. Finn Hudson, the boy who was into her for more than her voice. The boy who wanted her to be her, quirks and all.

Rachel knew she would never find a better guy than Finn. Who could? What they had went far beyond the status quo. What they had went far beyond logic. What they had was…special. Unique. One of a kind.

Rachel had finally come to terms with that. No other guy would be as special to her as Finn. No other guy would treat her as wonderful as Finn would and already had. Yes, he was a bit slow at times, but he was a great guy.

And he wanted Rachel!

Who had ever wanted Rachel? Puck? No, he had wanted her for sex. Jesse? No. He was jerk that she didn't want to think about.

But she had to. She still had some feelings for Jesse. She couldn't let go of them. A part of her still believed that he was good, that he still cared for her.

But as Rachel looked into the warm, honey eyes of Finn, that part of her that still loved Jesse St. James shrunk ten sizes smaller.

Rachel had made up her mind. She had to tell Finn that he was the one she wanted, the only one (mostly, but she knew he'd be okay with her still being upset about Jesse. He was just so kind that way).

Rachel's next problem was how to tell Finn of her epiphany. Then a horrible thought struck her mind: What if he didn't like her back anymore? What if he was done with waiting around for her to see that Jesse was scum and get over him?

There lay her choice: Show/tell Finn she still cared for him or stay silent?

Rachel looked into Finn's eyes one more time and saw something else in them that she had missed earlier: Devotion. Complete and total, unadulterated devotion and love.

Instead of staying silent, Rachel made one of the best decisions she would ever make in her entire life:

She put her hands against his shoulders, leaned in, and kissed him.

She tried to put all she had been feeling for him, pour it all into that one kiss. She felt his shock when her lips were suddenly against his, but half a second later, she felt him relax into the kiss and the feelings were returned. She pulled back and looked at him. Shock was clearly written all over his face, but a small smile was slowly forming on his lips.

She felt a smile forming on her lips as well and for the first time in a long time, the smile reached her eyes. She noticed that his hands had found their way around her waist and were gently pulling her closer to him. She happily obliged and put her forehead against his.

"Let's get to Glee Club rehearsal," he whispered.

Rachel took his hand and they walked together. She leaned into him, feeling a bit drained. At first she worried that she was coming down with something. Of course she would get sick for the third time in her life right before Regionals. Luckily, she realized she was just tired from her mind going into overdrive earlier. Then a thought occurred to her:

All that took place in the course of a single second.

A single moment.

* * *

So do you all like it? I honestly think this is one of my better songs. Why? I wrote it in about 15 minutes. I always write my best stories in a really short amount of time. I read over it for errors, so if there are still some, sorry.

Please reply. Brownie points if you reply. Please pretty please. I want to know if I should post the other chapters I have written. I have one about Finn where he told her he loves her, one about Jesse, and I'm currently writing one about Puck. I'm gonna write at least 2 more, one about Shelby and one about Artie. What do you think?


	2. Finn

In a Moment  
Chapter 2: Finn

Summary: A person could make a choice that has the power to make or break their lives. A million thoughts could go through their minds in one moment. Watch as some of our glee members make such a choice.

* * *

Rachel was FREAKING OUT. It was pretty obvious. Well, to someone who knew her as well as Finn did anyway. How could he tell?

Well, she was biting her lip like crazy for one. She ALWAYS did that when she was worried. That was how he knew that she still got a slight case of stage fright right before she went up onstage. She would bit her lip quickly, and then walk on.

Another? She licked her lips when she was upset too. Finn stood by the other entrance and he could see her tongue snake out and lick her lip quickly.

Another tell-tale sign was that she had been as thirsty as a…really thirsty person…the entire time they had been here. Rachel had downed about three water bottles in the span of an hour.

Those three things let Finn know two things about how Rachel was feeling. The lip-biting and lip-licking told him that she was nervous.

He thought it was reassuring that she still got stage fright. It just meant that she was…well, human. He also thought she looked really cute when she bit her lip. She would always look off to the side guiltily while she did it and she had the cutest look on her face. Finn knew that Rachel thought her lip-biting was unattractive, but he liked it. It was just one of the many little things that made Rachel the girl he loved.

Love.

Finn looked back over at Rachel and saw her looking back at him. He smiled. He loved this girl more than anything. And it wasn't just some little kid love, like what Puck's little sister felt towards that kid Andrew in her class. It wasn't an extremely strong like, like how Rachel felt about the Dumbass, or how Finn had felt about Quinn. It wasn't a lust either, like how Puck felt about…well, basically every girl he had ever gone out with.

No, this went way beyond any of those. This was deep within him, way deep where no one was allowed…except Rachel Berry.

Finn walked towards Rachel. Well, really, his feet just kind of pulled him there. It interested him. He didn't remember telling his feet to take him towards Rachel, they just did. It was like he _had_ to be where she was. He looked into her big, chocolatey eyes and saw them shining with happiness. Yes, she was nervous all right, but she was excited.

"Break a leg," she said.

Finn stopped.

When Rachel drank water, it meant that she was upset about something. Really upset about something. He had first noticed it after they had kissed for the first time. The next day, she drank a lot of water, an almost unhealthy amount. He was kind of worried about her since he had heard about that chick that died over the radio because she got dared to drink a ton of water. He started to notice it over time. He thought it was really funny and – again – extremely cute (then again, most of what Rachel did was cute. She couldn't do anything without being cute in Finn's eyes).

So what was she upset about?

Of course.

The Dumbass: Jesse St. James.

Finn knew he wasn't the smartest person in the world. After all, he'd only just realized that who he had been copying off of in math wasn't the best person to copy off of because the square root of 25 wasn't rainbows apparently. Finn _definitely_ wasn't the smartest person in the world, but he wasn't a complete idiot. He knew some part of Rachel still liked the Dumbass. Finn hoped that part of Rachel was a million times smaller than the part that liked Finn…or loved Finn. The second one was perfectly okay with him.

What could Finn say to Rachel? What could he say that would tell her that he was okay with her still hurting over the Dumbass? That if she wanted to take things slow, he would take them as slow as she wanted, just as long as she didn't write him off completely? How could he tell her that he would wait forever for her? How could he tell her that no matter what happened, no matter who showed up, he would love her and always would. Forever meant forever.

He could tell her the truth.

How would she react? Would she freak? Would she say it back? Would she give him one of her heart-stopping smiles? What would she do?

He didn't expect her to say it back. After all, she still had feelings for the Dumbass and was probably trying to think over that obstacle. Finn had had months to stew about his feelings for Rachel. He could pinpoint the exact moment when he realized he was in love with her.

It was in the doctor's office when she had laryngitis. He couldn't get over how adorable it was that she was so freaked out about a simple surgery. Then, it made him pissed that she thought she was no good if she couldn't sing. Of course she was good if she couldn't sing. She could still act right? So she had that going for her. Rachel was really smart besides, and could easily get accepted into a good college. She was really good with kids, so she could become a drama teacher or something. Or she could become a kid's doctor. A pedia…pedialite…pediatrick…a kid's doctor. She was definitely smart enough.

She was really nice too. She believed in good and all that stuff. He got so mad at her for not having any faith in herself. Then she rejected him again for the Dumbass. That freakin' jerk face Vocal Adrenaline brat.

He knew, he knew in that moment that he loved her. He wasn't exactly sure of it at first, but he figured it out. She was the one, the only one for him.

There lay his choice: Tell Rachel he loved her or hold it in for a little longer.

Finn looked over Rachel and was struck by how beautiful she was. And no, he wasn't talking about her curvy body, although it was beautiful and displayed perfectly in that dress. It wasn't her boobs, although…they looked_ really_ good in that dress as well (what could he do? He was a guy after all). It wasn't her hair, the long, beautifully brown hair that he ached to run his hands through, to twirl and twist around his fingers. It wasn't even her perfectly full lips that just begged to be kissed long and hard. No, it was her eyes that finally made his decision. Her eyes were bright and shining. She was smiling with her eyes, something she hadn't done in a few weeks.

Finn stared into her shining eyes and he found that one of the most important decisions of his life was already made.

"I love you," he said. Her eyes jumped in surprise but they still glowed happily. He saw her perfect lips curve into a gentle smile for just a second. He walked back to his place even though all he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and kiss her, to bury his head into her sweet smelling hair, to hold her small frame against his and never let him go. Finn also knew that if he didn't stop thinking about her, he was going to have a…one of his problems. And that would be awkward to explain onstage.

Yes, he saw her bite her lip, lick her lip, make a noise (a very cute noise) with her mouth that let him know she was thirsty, which were all tell-tale signs that she was scared shitless, but she had smiled first. That meant she felt something back and that something overpowered her other feelings of doubt. They were going to be together.

Finn took a cleansing breath. He felt like he had just had the hardest workout of his life. He realized it was because of his thinking. He had never thought so much in his entire life. Not for any type of test…not that he thought about his tests…he just cheated off of someone else. Then something popped into Finn's mind that surprised him:

All that took place in the course of a single second.

A single moment.

* * *

Yay. I liked this one although my favorite one is the next chapter. I hope ya'll liked this chapter though.

And here are your brownie points:

Thank you very much to Swamp Fairy, caityjane, and scissorhands101 for reviewing/favoriting/alerting to my story. I appreciate it so very much.

I might be able to post tomorrow but I'm not sure because I have a party I need to be going to. I'll try though. Plus, my step-dad is going to be tinkering with our Internet, so it might be down all day. I don't know.

Bye bye!


	3. Jesse

In a Moment  
Chapter 3: Jesse

Summary: A person could make a choice that has the power to make or break their lives. A million thoughts could go through their minds in one moment. Watch as some of our glee members make such a choice.

* * *

"Nothing really matters, anyone can see," Jesse sang out. He was proud of himself. He knew he had nailed it. A soulless automaton was he? He thought not. Rachel had always told him that he never put the soul in his voice that some of the other glee members did. He thought he put plenty in, at least for this song. This song was iconic. This song was thought impossible to be sung by anyone else but Freddie Mercury, but Jesse thought that he did just that: the impossible. Yes, he was very proud.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a swish of gold in the back of the theatre. He paused for what seemed like an eternity to him, but was in reality only a millisecond, if that. There she was, Rachel Berry.

Rachel Berry.

Was it wrong of him to admit that he missed her, after everything he had done to hurt her, to break her? Most would think so. He didn't love her, of that he was certain. However, he really liked her. After all, who wouldn't? She was beautiful, any idiot could see that. She was an amazing singer, probably one of the best teenagers he'd ever heard. Truth be told, she had the most chance out of anyone he knew to make it big (not that he'd admit that to any of his Vocal Adrenaline members). She was actually extremely smart and although she tended to be a bit overbearing when it came to singing, she really was looking out for her friends' best interests. She was kind. She was loyal, fiercely so.

And it seemed that she really liked him. It would have grown into love if he had stayed at McKinley High any longer. She trusted him so blindly. It amazed him how easily she fell for his act at first. He was worried in the beginning. He thought he was being to over the top, but she fell for it and why? Because she believed in the best of people. She truly did believe that everyone had some type of good in them deep down. She wouldn't have thought he was capable of being such a…a jerk.

And she reminded him a lot of himself. Both of them knew what they wanted and would do almost anything to get that desired goal. Both of them were completely sure in their abilities, whether it be singing, dancing, or simply out-smarting another person. They both tended to get a little crazy when it came to the stage and their futures on it. They were both admittedly high-maintenance.

If he really stopped to think about it, she was perfect for him. They were the perfect cliché: the two rising stars, the two star-hungry performers. He was also probably one of the only people in the world who could deal with her and she was most likely the only girl who could deal with him as well.

But he couldn't be with her. His friends were at CHS, his family. He had the best chance of winning Sectionals, Regionals, Nationals, any contest they threw his way with CHS. He had the best chance of succeeding at CHS.

So why was he thinking about her? Why couldn't Jesse get Rachel Berry out of his head?

Why?

Could it be that his feelings for her went deeper than he thought they did? Could it be that he cared for her more than he had any other girl he had ever been with? Could it be that when Ms. Corcoran told him that he would be coming back to Vocal Adrenaline within the week that his heart dropped into the center of the Earth? Could he, Jesse St. James, finally have been the one who was played? Could he be the heartbroken, not the heartbreakee?

Oh, he was screwed. He was screwed big time.

Why?

Because there was Rachel, looking breathtaking in that amazing dress that she wore, a dress that fit her perfectly, that brought out every beautiful curve she had. Rachel, with her hair completely out of her face so you could see her beautiful eyes, her flawless skin, her perfect, full lips. Rachel, the girl whose powerhouse of a voice rocked the theatre, shook it to its very core. Rachel, the girl who had the most amazing chemistry with a man that wasn't him. Rachel, who still believed he was good, still wanted him, even after he left her, her school, her friends, alienated her, made her feel like second best and unwanted, even after he put her entire glee club in a funk and trashed their room. Rachel, whose beautiful chocolatey-golden eyes were usually so bright with happiness, were darkened with sadness and betrayal as he crushed the egg on her head.

The one and only Rachel Berry.

At that moment all he wanted to do was rush off the stage and run into her arms. All he wanted was to beg her forgiveness, to say he was sorry and hope she takes him back.

Of course, he couldn't do that. That wasn't part of the choreography. They could lose for that.

But maybe, showing her he didn't care would convince her he was worth forgiving.

Or, maybe, if he gave her a sign. If he blew her a kiss, or reached his hand out, brought the crowd's attention to her and smiled or saluted, or…hell, even if he stared right at her and winked she would see. She would see that he, Jesse St. James, still had feelings for her, Rachel Berry, who was worth losing Nationals for, who was worth risking his closest friends never speaking to again, who was worth…everything. Maybe…

But his career. If he did that, who knew what would happen to his career? If he left CHS for WMHS and re-joined their glee club, would they still get to Nationals next year? Or the year after that? Would he still be noticed by the scouts that always come to Nationals? Would he get into Julliard on a full scholarship? Would he get into Julliard at all?

Was she worth that? Was she worth _that?_

There lay his choice: Be with Rachel Berry or risk losing his career?

As Jesse stared into Rachel's mesmerizing eyes, he couldn't think of another answer besides a resounding "YES!"

A part of Jesse knew that whatever his decision was would either bless him or haunt him for the rest of his life. A small part of Jesse knew this was one of the biggest decisions of his life.

But instead of rushing into her arms, gesturing to her, blowing her kiss, or even simply winking at her, Jesse unknowingly made the biggest mistake in his entire life:

He looked away.

"Nothing really matters to me." It seemed that statement rang more true for him than he ever could have thought.

As he arose to thunderous applause, it suddenly struck him how tired he was. All that thinking, all that deciding had worn him out.

All that took place in the course of a single second.

A single moment.

* * *

This was the first one I wrote. I am SO proud of this. I don't know why, I just am. I love it. I don't know why, but the idea of St. Berry one-sided makes me smile. Like, him being all "I'm still in love with you" and her being all, "Screw you mofo!"

It appeals to me because I really liked Jesse. A lot. Even after I found out that he was using her because it's not like he was trying to throw her off her game, that was just kind of a side-effect. He was doing the wrong thing (using her to get her closer to her Shelby) for teh right reasons (reuntiting Shelby, who he obviously cared about with her daughter). Then Funk happened and I hated him. It seemed really out of character though. Like, what was that? It just ticked me off.

Anyway, I'm rambling. I hope you liked this one at least half as much as I did, because honestly, I think this one of my favorites of anything I've written. I'll post another soon. The next will be Puck's POV.

BTW - my Internet is up so posts will be coming more often!


	4. Puck

In a Moment  
Chapter 4: Puck

Summary: A person could make a choice that has the power to make or break their lives. A million thoughts could go through their minds in one moment. Watch as some of our glee members make such a choice.

Note: I realized as I was reading over Jesse's chapter that I had a brainfart because 1.) I had him talking about Julliard when he's going to UCLA and 2.) I totally forgot he was senior and I think I hinted he was Rachel's age. If it bothers you like a mofo, then either message me or review telling me so and I'll make the neccessary changes. If not, it stays the way it is. Anyway, here goes Puck's chapter:

* * *

Puck stared out at the beautiful baby girl. _His_ beautiful baby girl. Obviously, Puck knew how babies were made. He'd demonstrated his knowledge on that plenty of times over with many different girls. But to actually see it, to actually see the baby girl that he helped make was…weird. It was…humbling?

Oh Lord almighty, how freakin' corny and messed up was that thought? Noah Puckerman feeling humble? It made him shiver just thinking of those two words in the same sentence. But it seemed to be true. That little, fragile, beautiful thing was his kid. He helped make it. He and Quinn.

Quinn.

Puck wasn't going to lie; the whole childbirth thing freaked him out. That was really gross and weird and bizarre and just…ew. So why didn't he run away? It was simple. Quinn needed him in there. You know, when she wasn't yelling, "Shut up! You suck! You suck! You suck!" at him. After she had the baby and was holding it in her arms, she kept looking up at him. He scooted closer and closer to her and when Mercedes realized this, she convinced Mrs. Fabray that they should leave. The moment they left, Puck lay down next to Quinn and she put the baby in the middle.

Puck liked who he was. He liked being a "man whore" and a badass. He was who he was and that was how he was going to stay. Except that moment, when he was lying down next to his kid and Quinn, there a small part of him that wanted to stay with Quinn and only Quinn. He felt like he could raise the baby with her and they would be amazing parents. Quinn would be a hot, wonderful mom and he would be a badass dad who stuck around for his kid and helped her through everything.

The moment passed though. Puck let it pass. He leaned his forehead against the cold glass that divided him and his daughter. Quinn stood next to him, looking drained and tired.

Of course she was drained and tired. She just had a baby for Pete's sake! Childbirth is weird and violent and…ew.

She looked beautiful though. More beautiful than he had ever seen her. Her hair kept falling into her eyes and the way she kept getting aggravated with it was the cutest thing ever. Her eyes were shining brightly as she looked at the kid. And the fact that she had put herself through all that pain for his kid was more of a turn on than he cared to admit.

"Did you love me?" Quinn's musical voice asked timidly.

Puck considered lying to her. Puck knew himself too well. The odds of him being able to stop his sleeping around weren't very good. He didn't have that much discipline. If he said no, would it be easier for her to move on? Probably. But it seemed like Puck wasn't in control of his mouth anymore. Instead of trying to let her down so she could move on with her life he said:

"Yes. Now more than ever."

He would feel the aftereffects of that statement for weeks. She would want to be together, so badly. He would want to be with her and only her, so badly. But in the end, he would do something stupid and so incredibly Puck-like and she would be hurt. He would feel like a jerk and she would be broken-hearted because of him…again.

But the smile on her face radiated happiness and Puck felt like the King of the World for making such a sad and beautiful creature smile so bright. He felt like it was worth it for that moment.

Puck felt something brush up against his hand.

He froze.

Quinn's hand was right there, right next to his, screaming at him to take it. He could, if he wanted to. It would make her feel even happier. It would also mean a lot more than simply taking her hand, especially after what he just said.

He wanted to so badly. He could feel his heart pounding in anticipation, the blood rushing to his brain. He got goose bumps just thinking about taking her hand then quickly reprimanded himself. After all, he'd gone all the way on way more than one occasion. Why should he be so turned on by thinking about touching a girl's hand?

But he was. Really turned on.

He loved Quinn and he knew it. Puck knew himself very well and knew that he loved her. He also knew he could never be enough for her. He was, as he had once so eloquently put it, a sex shark. He wanted a million girls; she wanted one guy to love forever. He could never be that guy.

He wanted to be that guy though. So much. He wanted to be her one guy to love her and help her run a household. It wasn't him, but he wanted it.

There lay his choice: Take her hand or let it – and her – go?

Did the bad outweigh the good? Would this perfect moment be worth the fights that were sure to follow? Puck would remember this moment forever if he took her hand. Would Quinn remember this moment as perfect forever though? Would she be 30, 40, 50, even 60 and look back on this moment as a happy one or as the moment where the jerk ass guy that got her knocked up further ruined her teenage life? It would probably be the second one, but what if it was the first? Should he take her hand?

Puck looked at her hand and with a single thought – ah, to hell with thinking. It never got me far anyway – he made what he thought to be one of the best decisions of his life, however small of a thing it was to do:

He laced his fingers through hers.

Her hand was really soft. It felt nice against his rough ones. Her hand was warm too and so small. His hand completely dwarfed hers but it still felt really good. Too good even.

She looked into his eyes and just for a moment it seemed like the world stopped and it was just the two of them, them against the world.

Oh Lordy, how freakin' corny was THAT?

But Puck didn't care if his badassness went down a few points for thinking that. Why? Because Quinn was smiling, really smiling.

He felt a bit tired. He was starting to get a major headache. He didn't get headaches often. Headaches were for wussies and nerds who looked at the small lettering on their homework too much. Puck thought a bit more and realized it was from his big decision. Then another thought occurred to him which struck him as odd and crazy:

All that took place in the course of a single second.

A single moment.

* * *

So do you like it? The next one is going to be Shelby and then I don't know what. I can't think of anything else, but I'll re-watch the episode. If I don't though, I need your opinion my lover readers:  
Should I leave this as not completed and leave it open for other stories throughout the rest of the series, or should I just close it up and say it's complete?

Reviews are optional, but greatly appreciated.


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